Carmelo Taking a Shot at Lin?

[mountaincuse]

Lin played the situation to get the most he could from the Knicks, and now that the Knicks may not match he may not be getting what he really wants.

The while situation is a cluster. He meets in secret with Houston to up the the price and then the Knicks GM wasn't around to accept the offer sheet.

Houston cut him and now will overpay him?

Melo didn't say anything wrong - Lin did what he did and the entire Knicks organization is upset, not just him.

 

[longislandcuse]

Thanks. And at this point, since he signed the offer sheet from Houston, he goes there if the Knick's don't match, correct?

Correct. Also of note is that the Knicks can sign but not trade him until Jan 15th, and they cannot trade him to Houston for a full year.

 

[orangenauburn]

Lin tried playing the Knicks and they didnt bite like he and his agent planned ... Lin then complained that things didnt go as he planned ... but Melo is the ass for telling it like it is?

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

He was jealous of Lin. JR Smith's comment about problems in the locker room if Lin was re-signed point right at Melo. This team has more talent than to be impressed that they won "a playoff game" against Miami. With that lineup, they should be an Eastern semifinalist or finalist. They just don't play as a team, and the biggest culprit is Melo. He is a ball hog on offense and he doesn't play hard on defense. I don't know how long it took him to turn into such a selfish player, but that's exactly what he is.

The problems in the locker room would involve giving that kind of money to a kid who has played 25 NBA games and had a magical two week stretch. I think Knicks fans overestimate the talent on the roster. They're not better than Boston, Chicago, Miami, and potentially Philly and Indiana depending on how their young talent develops. Who on that roster do you want to take the most shots last year if not Melo? Stat looked pretty bad last season. Tyson is a defensive force but not someone you feed in the post. Landry Fields lost all confidence. Of course Melo took the majority of shots and at time took bad shots. That team just is not that good as currently constructed.

 

[CusefanATL]

Interesting question. Does he have a choice if the Knicks match? Can he go to Houston anyway?

no. the knicks are the only decision makers in this. either they match and he remains in ny or they dont and he goes to houston.

i guess he could ask them to not match... but that would be as effective as a university asking its fans not to tweet their 17 yr old role models.

 

[longislandcuse]

I don't know if it is a good basketball move. Perhaps it is given the lack of quality at the PG position, but I think there are definitely cheaper options that can produce. Paying him that kind of money doesn't allow them to build a more well-rounded, deep roster.

I think they have a pretty good roster. If they sign Lin they have:
Lin/JR/Melo/Amare/Chandler
Kidd/Felton/Camby/Novak/Kurt Thomas/James White/Shumpert (in January)/Prigioni

Most of their contracts are up in 3 years, so this is their window with the current team.

 

[Knicks411]

And how did the Knicks do when they had Felton & Melo ? They were a .500 team then, too, weren't they ?

They were 500 before the trade, but they were never together on the Knicks.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Interesting question. Does he have a choice if the Knicks match? Can he go to Houston anyway?

He is a restricted free agent. Pretty sure he is a Knick if they match.

 

[Knicks411]

I don't know if it is a good basketball move. Perhaps it is given the lack of quality at the PG position, but I think there are definitely cheaper options that can produce. Paying him that kind of money doesn't allow them to build a more well-rounded, deep roster.

It pretty much has no effect on their roster. If they don't spend the money on Lin, then the money doesn't get spent. All not matching the contract would do is save Dolan some money.

 

[PoppyHart]

Lin tried playing the Knicks and they didnt bite like he and his agent planned ... Lin then complained that things didnt go as he planned ... but Melo is the ass for telling it like it is?

Have there been any quotes directly from Lin, and not merely unnamed sources? Perhaps that "source" who said they'd match anything up to a billion dollars screwed the pooch.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

It pretty much has no effect on their roster. If they don't spend the money on Lin, then the money doesn't get spent. All not matching the contract would do is save Dolan some money.

It would save them a ton of money later on though with the luxury tax implications. I caught Steven A this morning saying the contract would be worth closer to 30 million later on (every dollar over the cap is worth 1.75 in luxury tax) if the Knicks are still over the cap in that third year.

 

[orangenauburn]

LIN IS NOT GOOD!

He is average at best ... all these NY fan boys blinded by the media love fest given to an asian with a catchy nickname who had a half dozen great games. People need to pull back and look at the big picture.

How many players in the NBA flamed out after getting rewarded with a monster contract based on a few week stretch of greatness? There are plenty of examples out there

 

[CuseFaninVT]

LIN IS NOT GOOD!

He is average at best ... all these NY fan boys blinded by the media love fest given to an asian with a catchy nickname who had a half dozen great games. People need to pull back and look at the big picture.

How many players in the NBA flamed out after getting rewarded with a monster contract based on a few week stretch of greatness? There are plenty of examples out there

I understand your thoughts here, but you are overstating it. He's good. He's just not third or second highest contract on the team good. A person making that much needs to be much better than good.

 

[longislandcuse]

LIN IS NOT GOOD!

He is average at best ... all these NY fan boys blinded by the media love fest given to an asian with a catchy nickname who had a half dozen great games. People need to pull back and look at the big picture.

How many players in the NBA flamed out after getting rewarded with a monster contract based on a few week stretch of greatness? There are plenty of examples out there

He played 25 games and only Miami shut him down. You reference his great games as being "a half dozen" but he he played about 20 good games as well. Dude has talent. Not 3 yrs/25r mil talent but it is what it is.

 

[Knicks411]

It would save them a ton of money later on though with the luxury tax implications. I caught Steven A this morning saying the contract would be worth closer to 30 million later on (every dollar over the cap is worth 1.75 in luxury tax) if the Knicks are still over the cap in that third year.

Yeah, it could actually be even more than that. But I don't care about that. Dolan has wasted so much money on the team in the past. He needs to suck it up; it's going to be for one year and then they will have all of their big contracts off the books.

I said it before; I really do think the backlash on Lin has gone too far. Guy was 23 years old last year, in his first real shot in the league, and he was very good. Will he end up as a perennial all star? Probably not, but I think he will be a solid player. He was a goo dplayer in college, he was a good player in the D-League, and when he got a shot in the NBA he was a good player.

 

[longislandcuse]

It would save them a ton of money later on though with the luxury tax implications. I caught Steven A this morning saying the contract would be worth closer to 30 million later on (every dollar over the cap is worth 1.75 in luxury tax) if the Knicks are still over the cap in that third year.

It would save Dolan luxury tax implications which would be partially (at least) offset by the money Lin generates. It has no bearing on the Knicks ability to do anything. If they lose Lin, they lose him for nothing. At this point, I think the Knicks brass feels like Lin and his agent pulled a fast one on them and their pissed.

 

[orangepassion]

The question is-Can Lin play the 2?

 

[Toga]

What would Zeke do? Do the opposite.

 

[longislandcuse]

The question is-Can Lin play the 2?

Hes undersized but thats what he played in college. He was a combo guard I believe.

 

[mountaincuse]

What would Zeke do? Do the opposite.

He'd find a way to trade some first round pics and make this happen.

 

[longislandcuse]

People act like signing Lin prevents us from signing some awesome unnamed player. Noone else is out there that we can afford who can do anything but be depth. Lin doesnt affect the Knicks from making moves, we have his Bird Rights and can go over the cap to sign him. If we dont, we can sign a bunch of vet minimums. Who knows if Amare is still even on this team in 3 years, why worry about Lin's contract then. If hes good and the Knicks can win it all with Melo/Amare/Lin/Chandler/Kidd all in the last year of their contracts, im sure Dolan wont mind paying that crazy tax.

Right now hes just butthurt that Lin pulled a fast one on him.

 

[longislandcuse]

He'd find a way to trade some first round pics and make this happen.

And throw in Shumpert.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

They are gonna carry Lin/Felton/Kidd on the active roster...and none of them can play off guard. Doesn't seem likely...

Also, I thought there was an unwritten rule about not discussing other players contracts. Weird for Melo and JR to say what they said... would they have done the same if he were black and one of their buddies?

 

[DeGrozz]

I'm not terribly sad to see Lin *very likely* go for that price -- But I can't lie, as a Knicks fan, I really wanted to see what a lineup of Lin, Shumpert, Carmelo, Stat, and Chandler could do if they had time to gel. Especially with a pretty good bench after they signed Kidd and Camby...

 

[UBCuse89]

Stephen A. Smith brought up some intriguing posts. Having Lin for year 3 would cost the Knicks a $1.75 for every $1 which in no way Lin's play is worth. He has only 1 season under his belt and so the unknown of how he will perform for 3 more years is an issue, he needs to get better defensively and find a more consistent shot. I mean I love what Lin did but I honestly don't think he is worth the match if he is going to cost over 25 mil to keep. He also brought up an intriguing point, the Knicks still have questions on Lin. Lin had said he was 85% ready to go yet doesn't play against the Heat. Where as players on the Heat like Wade and Bosh came back to play after injury and personal issues, respectively. I understand he probably did it for money reasons which I can't really blame but it was the playoffs and by doing that he puts into question his desire to win. If I was a player in that locker room and one of your better players opts not to play in the playoffs because he is 85% with an injury he could have played in pain with then hell yeah I would be pissed especially after Shumpert went down with his injury. All I got to say is if Mike Miller can play then so could have Lin.